Die for straightening knives and forks



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I. E. G. 0ST.

DIE FOR STRAIGHTENING KNIVES AND FORKS.

No. 379,597. Patented Mar. 20, 1888.

* WITNEEEKE.

Mb, a l/- 1 (No Model'.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

E. G. 0ST.

DIE FOR STRAIGHTENING KNIVE$ AND FORKS. No. 379,597. Patented Mar. 20,1888.

FI /.4. WITNESSES- INVENTEIR- Haze a4 0,075."

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIAS Gr. OST, OF SHELBURNE, MASSACHUSETTS.

DIE FOR STRAIGHTENING KNIVES AND FORKS.

SPECIPICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 379,597. dated March 20.1888.

Application tiled June 3, 1886. Serial No. 203,976 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, ELIAS G. GM, of Shelburne, in the county of Franklinand Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have made certain new and usefulImprovements in Dies for Making Knives having Solid Steel Handles orScale-Tangs and in the Process of Manufacture of such Knives, whereofthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows in elevation an upperdie. Fig. 2 shows in elevation a lower die having my guides. Fig. 3shows a central vertical longitudinal section of the two dies in the position of impact and of a knife in its impression-cavities in said dies.Fig. 4 shows a vertical cross-section of said dies and knife, takenthrough the line .90 0c of Fig. 3.

My invention consists of an improvement in dies for making table-knivesand other cutlery in which a tang or handle is required to be madeintegral with and in a prearranged line with or position relative to theblade according to the design of the knife; and it is especiallyvaluable in making the blanks, which, when plated, are known assteel-handled knives, the principal part of the process performed withmy dies being the straightening of the blade with the handle or tang orbringing of the blade and tang or handle into the exact line or positionrelative to each other which they are designed to have.

My invention is illustrated by a set of dies suitable for making a steelblank, E, fora me dium or table knife. By the term set I refer to theupper and lower dies necessary to make an impression upon the blank byimpact together, and of the dies shown A is the lower and B the upperdie, each having cut in its face corresponding oppositeimpressioncavities constituting, when the dies are in place, with ablank of proper form between them in the cavities of each, a socketfitting upon the blank in a sufficient number of points to impress upona blank heated and in suitable condition to be shaped or corrected inthis process, when it is forced into this socket by the impact orpressure of the upper die, the desired configuration. Noimpression-cavities are necessary for the flat portion of the blade; butin the dies A and B the faces impressing this part have fiat surfacesinclined suitably toward each other to bear upon the beveled sides ofthe blade between them when in its proper place, other bearingsurfacesholding the dies apart sufficiently to leave a proper thickness in theblade,the inclinations being toward the blade-edge, a bein, the face ofthe die A, impressing this part, and b the face of the die B, while 0represents the impression-cavity of the die A, fitting the hair dle andbolster, and d represents the corresponding impression-cavity in the dieB.

The dies are fitted to leave a small part of the handle outside to betaken hold of for manipulation, enough being introduced between the diesto secure the effects of the process for which they are used. The die Ahas attached to or integral with it the guides e e e fff ,for guidingthe blade into its proper place between the dies, and the guides g g hh, for guiding the handle into its impressioneavity, all which guideshave corresponding depressions in the die 13; or the die B may be cutaway to obviate the necessity of depressions. All these guides haveinclined faces 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 l0 inclining toward the properlocationsin the dies of the several parts of the blank they are to guideinto place, whereby when the blank to be operated on is put betweenthem, (the dies being suitably placed in a drop or other press,) and theupper die is allowed to drop upon or press it, the blank is forced intoits socket, and if it varies at all from the true contigu ration desiredit is forced into shape by the dies, the edge being toward theguidesfff' The operation of the dies to straighten or correct the blank,which is properly heated therefor, is sufficiently obvious from theforegoing description. The guides greatly facili tate speed in work byguiding into place for impression the blanks placed between them. Thereare four principal directions in which a blank is usually out of lineshown in the blank-fitting dies A and B, as follows: The first two arethose in which the defect occurs when the edge or back of the bladeinclines forward or back, making an angle with the handle. The secondtwo directions are those in which the defect occurs when one side or theother inclines toward and makes an angle with the side of the handle. Ofcourse, however, the blade or handle or blade and handle may be out ofline in either ofthe intermediate directions, the blade may be twistedon the handle, or the configuration of the bolster and the portion ofthe blade immediately connected therewith may be wrong. Any of thesedefects existing in the blank will be remedied by dropping or pressingit into its socket, in iits proper heated state, between my'improved Theusual processes of forging a piece of steel cut from the bar into ablank are as follows:

First, the heated steel is dropped, forming in the drop-press a handleand bolster upon it.

Second, with another heating the other end of the steel is drawn under atriphammer lengthwise enough to form a blade.

Third, with another heating the blade portion is plated out siclcwiseinto suitable thickness in that direction to form a blade.

Fourth, the blade is cut into shape with cutting-dies.

Fifth, the flash or flake of metal escaping into the dies from thehandle in the impression-cavities is cut off with cutting-dies.

Sixth, the sixth and seventh processes are performed with two sets ofdies, the first set similar to the dies which would be formed by theparts 0 and D of my dies A andB if each of my dies were cut in two partsat the vertical cross-section indicated by the dotted lines thereupon inFigs. 1 and 2, excepting that the die corresponding to the part 0. hasno guides upon it, and the other no depressions to receive the same, andthey are both constructed somewhat longer than the parts 0 and D, andcontain impression cavities for the full length of the handle. Thesecond set of dies, in which the seventh process is usually performed,are like the dies formed by the parts F and G, left of my dies A and B,after cutting therefrom the parts 0 and D, as described, excepting thatthey have no guides or corresponding depressions. The sixth process hasthe principal purpose of correcting deflections of the blade and handlefrom a correct line in either of the first two principal directionsnamed, in which a blank is usually out of line. This process isperformed by the firsttwo of the dies described, similar to the partsOand D, the lower die having fastened to its front, far enough forwardto escape the upper die as it falls in the drop or other press, twofingers, usually called a gage, which act asguides, and have a similarposition relative to the impression-cavity of the handle in the lowerdie that my guides e f have to the same in my die. Between these fingersthe blade of the heated blank is placed, and, the handle having usuallya slightly-inclined surface on each side which bears upon the edge oftheimpression-cavity, if the blank is not much out of line, the impactor pressure of the upper die bearing upon it is thereby guided andforced into the cavity, and, the blade being held by the gage, the erroris corrected. Any error in the configuration of the bolster or the partconnecting it with the flat part of the blade is also corrected inthedies; butthe amount of error in the deflection of the edge or back ofthe blade from line, to be remedied by pressure of the die on theincline of the handle forcing it into place, is slight, since, if thedeflection is too great, the upper die will not force the handle intoplace, but the hot blank must be struck by other means to correct thedeflection enough to allow the die to force it into its cavity.

Seventh. The next process is to straighten or correct any deflection ofthe blade in either ofthesecond two principal directions named that is,sidewise. This is done by heating again the blade and subjecting it topressure between the dies described therefor, the flat beveled facesforcing the blade into line.

My improved'method, for which I reserve the right to apply for LettersPatent, combines the sixth and seventh processes, saving in themanufacture of these blanks one dropping or pressing process, andconsequently the use of a drop or other press and one fire. This isaccomplished by my improvement in the dies, and is rendered possible bythe use of the guides e c e ff f gg h h, the inclined faces 1 2 3, 800.,of which will guide the entire blank, which is placed between them,heated, and receives the impact or pressure of the upper die in a dropor other press into its proper impressioncavities, the blade fallinginto its exact place between the faces a and b, the reaction of theguides or of the guides e c e orfff and theimpression-cavity0doing theICC work of the sixth process, while the fiat faces a and b, reacting onthe blade while the bandle is held and impressed in its true positionrelative to the blade by the surfaces of its impression-cavity, performthe work of the seventh process at the same time, all errors ofconfiguration being corrected also. These guides direct or guide theblank into position when being placed in the dies by reacting against itif the operator deflects it from its true course, and if the blank be somuch out of figure in either of the two principal directions first namedthat it will not pass to its position for receiving the impact of thedies, the reaction of the guides against it on opposite sides, whenbeing pressed down by the upper die, guides it to place, and by thisguiding process corrects the whole or some part of the deflection oftheblank as it passes along.

My improvements remedy adifficulty heretofore experienced in themanufacture of these blanks, making them much more perfect than formerprocesses. Inasmuch as the bevel of the blade is formed by aninclination of the facesof the upper and lower die toward each other,obviously the blades will not be uniform and perfect unless the blade isplaced in the same spot on the face a and in a proper linelongitudinally with the faces ct and b, as well as in the locationrequired to give the proper thickness at every operation. in practice bythe old process, but is accomplished by the use of my guides.

Each guide This cannot be done adjacent to the blade in place acts as astop to hold it in place on the flat face a while awaiting and whilereceiving the blow of the other die after it has been put or forced intoposition to be impressed. Since the blades cannot be placed accuratelyin ordinary dies used in the seventh process,theimpact of the upper diefalls unequally on the blade, and this very frequently has the effect tocause the same deflectionin the blank from its trueline,which the sixthprocess was intended to remedy; and so if either the sixth or seventhprocess precedes, the disfigurement sought to be remedied by the priorprocessis often created by the later, while my combination of both inone makes perfect work.

Some makers of blanks perform the fourth and fifth processes describedat one operation by using cutting'dies that will cut off the flash, asdescribed, from the handle and cut the blade at the same operation.Obviously this will remedy any error of the lines of the blank in eitherof the first two principal directions and save the necessity of thesixth process, so far as itis used forstraightening the blade and handleto remedy deflections in those directions; but theseventh process isthen necessary, since the cntt-ingdies will leave the blank out oflinein one of the other two directions-that is. sidewise and the seventhprocess in the same manner before described. unless the blade is placedon the die precisely where it should be; or if it has been placed so asto give more of the force of the pressure or impact ofthe upper die toone part of the blade than another, will create anew one of thedeflections of the blade or handle in one of the first twodirections,which deflections the sixth process is intended to remedy.The work is therefore no better than if made by the processes firstdescribed, unless my improved dies are used,which are intended to remedythese faults.

In the seventh process it is common to place a rest, 011 which to placethe handle while the blade is being struck, near the die at the rightheight to support the handle even with the blade and prevent a sharpbend at the bolster. Obviously the part 0 of my die performs thisfunction when the blade is shaped.

Plainly it is not essential to the use of my dies with some advantagethat all the guides shown should be attached thereto, the extra numberbeing attached to take out every possible deflection from the true linesof the blank, and the guides would operate substantially as well ifattached to the upper die, or if part were attached to the upper andpart to the lower, if correctly located to operate as described when thedies came together. the blank being caught by the inclines and forcedinto place; or, if so located and otherwise held, but admitted throughdepressions to their places, the guides might be disengaged from bothdies. A single guide, 6 for example, with no more, which would restagainst the back of the blade in its true location on the face a, wouldact as a stop to locate it thereon. and the reaction of said backagainst it and of the inclines of the handle against the sides of theimpressioncavity would correct a moderate deflection of the back towardthe handle; ora single guide. f", for example, with no more, wouldsimilarly act as a stop against the edge and in a similar manner correcta moderate deflection in the blank of the edge toward the handle, ineither case the dies rectifying all sidewisc deflections. As by strikingthe hot blank the deflection could be thrown on either side desired, mydies would bcuseful with oneguide; but twoguides, e and f, for example,located on opposite sides of the location of the blade, would fulfillthe part of the gage in the sixth process, and in cases of moderatedeflection in either of the two first principal directions named theconfiguration of the blank would in one operation be corrected, as inthe sixth and seventh processes, if only those guides were used, andwith two guides thus used and another located on the sideoft-heimpression-cavity of the bandlethe guide g, for example-a stillgreater deflection of the blade in one of said two principal directionswould be rectified, while with a single guide located beside saidimpressioncavity, the other two not being used. a stop would be providedto assist in locating the blank in the diesa purpose further aided byanother guide on the opposite side thereof; but a much better result issecured by the use of four guides, two on opposite sides of the locationof the blade and two on opposite sides of the location of the handle ortang. a large deflection in either direction being thereby corrected. I

Of course the addition of other guides tends to make the work moreperfect until, if the guides were extended, a continuous inclinationmight surround the location of the blank in the dies, leaving, perhaps,an opening out of which some part of the blade handle or bolster mightproject to take hold of in manipulation.

To further define the term guide as herein used, it may be said that itindicates generically a projection which may or may not be attached toone of the dies, extending from the die-face upward if attached to thelower die in place, or downward if attached to the upper die in place,located generally at the proper position in the die of the blank duringimpression, but located and adapted to and having the purpose ofassisting to guide the blank while being adjusted to its impressionposition and impinging against the side of the guide presented to saidposition into said position, or to stop the blank in said position frommotion therefrom, or by reaction against a force applied upon the sideof the blank opposite to that in contact with it, to assist inrectifying the outline of the blank while being pressed to its place.The term does not include any portion ofthe impressioncavity impressingfinally its form upon the blank, although the inclinations thereof mayIIO to some extent have similar effects; but it does nations, but hadvertical faces in place thereof,

they would yet serve as guides to assist in guiding the blank to placeor to hold it therein or even to correct some irregularities of itsoutline, especially if the blank be somewhat tilted edgewise while beingplaced between said guides.

My guides are also specially useful in making scaletang knives, whichhave a tang drawn flat to receive scales of wood or other substancerequired for the handle. These tangs can have no inclination to guidethem into an impression-cavity and need the guides to correct theirlines with those of the blade. Obviously, also, my dies withsnitablebearing; points may be made to correct the configuration ofalmost any blank, by which term I include the forging, which when groundand finished, and when the material, if any, required for the handle isadded, becomes a knife.

What I claim as my invention, and for which I pray Letters Patent, is-

l. A set of dies having an impression-cavity into which the handle andbolster of a knifeblank are forced to correct their configuration, andone or more guides located in position to impinge against said handlewhen be ing placed into the die for impression and guide it into saidimpression-cavity, substantially as described.

2. In a set of dies for correcting the configuration of a knife-blank,astop located adjacent to the position in the die in which the blade ofthe blank rests while receiving the impression and in place to preventsaid blade from moving on the die-face from said position in thedirection of said stop.

3. A set of dies having impression-faces to press upon both the bladeand handle of a knife-blank for correcting the configuration thereof,combined with two pairs of guides, one pair thereof having inclinedfaces arranged on opposite sides of the position in the die in which theblade of the blank rests to receive the impression, and the otherpairhaving inclined faces arranged on opposite sides of the position inthe die in which the handle of the blankrests to receive saidimpression, all said inclined faces being located,

as described, to guide said blank, when placed scribed, to act upon saidblank when being placed or forced into its position in the dies forreceiving their impression, and arranged on opposite sides of saidposition in place to react against the blank when being placed or forcedinto its said position and assist in guiding said blank into saidposition.

ELIAS G. 0ST. In presence of- EVA J. WINN, GEORGE H. WARREN.

